The thought of power-punching destroyer Naoya Inoue going the 12-round distance is enough to make his army of loyal fans chuckle. The three-weight world champ from Japan is an authentic knockout artist with a formidable 87.5% knockout ratio and he doesn't believe in doing overtime.
MORE: Sign up to watch Stephen Fulton vs. Naoya Inoue on ESPN+
In a 10-year professional career, Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) has taken part in 20 scheduled 12-round contests but has only been extended that distance on two occasions. In a light flyweight bout, David Carmona survived The Monster's biggest swipes before dropping a unanimous decision in 2016, while Nonito Donaire provided Inoue with the toughest test of his career to date before losing on points in their thrilling 2019 Fight of the Year at bantamweight.
In his next fight, however, Inoue will be competing at super bantamweight against an undefeated unified champion in Stephen Fulton. The pair face off at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on July 25.
History shows that when a fighter continually moves up in weight, the likelihood of going the distance increases exponentially. One such case is Manny Pacquiao, who decimated elite-level opposition from flyweight to super lightweight en route to becoming a multi-division world champion. However, when Pacquiao moved north to welterweight, the knockouts dried up. In the final 17 fights of his career, the Filipino warrior went 12-5 (1 KO).
Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) is a career-long super bantamweight. When the Philadelphia-based technician turned professional in 2014, Inoue was campaigning in the junior flyweight division, which is 14 pounds or four weight classes beneath. The Japanese star has impressively carried his power up to 118 pounds, but will it have the same effect at 122?
More: All you need to know about Fulton vs. Inoue
The 29-year-old Fulton has never been down as a professional. He's known for being one of the slickest fighters in the sport and has rarely been ruffled in his championship career. Only rampaging pressure-fighter Brandon Figueroa, who is now campaigning at featherweight, was able to score consistently against him, landing 304 of 1060 shots (30% connect ratio). Fulton was given credit for his accuracy (269 of 726 for a 37% connect percentage) and claimed a majority decision.
If Inoue can come close to landing Figueroa's numbers, then Fulton may fall apart. It's difficult to imagine any fighter on or around these weight classes absorbing 300+ direct hits from arguably the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in the sport. Boxing is all about styles, however, and Inoue is much more judicious with his output than is Figueroa.
Fans were treated to a Fulton masterclass in his most recent outing. Against former unified world champion Daniel Roman in June of last year, Fulton limited his opponent to 113 of 673 shots (17% connect ratio). In a dazzling defensive display, which ended in a unanimous decision shutout, the champion almost doubled his opponent in punches landed (218 of 603 shots for a 36% connect ratio).
That's the type of success Fulton will be looking for in Tokyo, but he's in against a much better fighter than Roman.
So, what's the key to neutralising Inoue's offence?
When I spoke to Donaire before his first fight with Inoue, he exuded confidence. "I have power and I'm not afraid of him," said the ex-champ defiantly. "I believe that the people he's fought have been fearful of him and his power. The difference is I welcome it, and I'm getting a lot of excitement out of the challenge. He's going to face a guy with power, speed, intelligence, and experience. We'll constantly be adjusting in this fight."
There are things that Fulton can draw from here. Firstly, you cannot show fear when facing an offensive force like Inoue. If you back away continually, then that's blood to a shark and you just give him momentum. While Fulton doesn't have Donaire's vaunted power, he must let his hands go and give Inoue something to think about.
Secondly, Donaire mentioned "adjusting" and that will be crucial. Inoue is always looking to exploit an opponent's mistakes, so it's important for Fulton to give him different looks. The champion is an adept switch hitter and that's something that Inoue has rarely encountered.
| Bets per MGM | Odds |
| Fulton on points | +450 |
| Inoue on points | +200 |
| Fight to go the distance | +100 |
| Fight to go over 11 rounds | -138 |
| Fight to go less than 11 rounds | +100 |
It's never wise to pick against Inoue and I never have. However, Fulton has the necessary tools to extend the challenger and make him work. Along with his natural size advantage, he's almost two inches taller at 5-6 ½ and he has a 2 ½ inch edge in reach. Those physical advantages combined with a superlative skillset could force "The Monster" to hunt his prey for a much long period of time than he's accustomed to.
Fulton has taken part in five 12-round contests and has gone the distance on each occasion, usually prevailing with room to spare. Does he have the finesse and durability to outclass one of boxing's most formidable talents?
